Pneumatic transit apparatus.



Patented Mar. l2, l90l.

W. A. H. BOGARDUS. PNEUMATIC TRANSIT APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 10, 1900.\

2 Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

m: "bums Pumas coy, wow-Lumen WASNVNDION. o. c.

No. 669,889. Patented Mar. l2, IQOI.

w. A; H. BUGARDUS.

PNEUMATIC TRANSIT APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 10, 19003 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

"m: uonms PEIERS co. Pnmo-umo. WASHINGTON. o. c

UNITE STATES PATENT Tries.

WASHINGTON A. H. BOGARDUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,889, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed August 10,1900. Serial No. 26,493. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WASHINGTON A. H. BO- GARDUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at The Montana, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street and Mount Morris avenue, in the city of New York, county of New York, and State of-New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Transit Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in receiving mechanism for use in connection with the general class of pneumatic-despatch systems in which air-pressure is utilized as a motive force, the object of the invention being to provide a device capable of the reception Without injury of a carrier when the main receiving-chamber is occupied or closed from the line.

My invention is particularly designed to prevent an arriving carrier which would otherwise strike the closed gate of the main receiving-chamber of a previous carrier with injurious force to be cushioned, retarded, and prevented from so striking by mechanism con trolled automatically by the gate-controlling mechanism.

These objects I attain in the mannerhereinafter set forth and particularly described,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward portion of a receiving mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section.

Like charactes of reference designate similar parts in both views.

The form of receiver here shown is of the double-gate pattern, designed to be situated at a point upon the line between the station where the air-pressure is admitted and another where the exhaust is located. Therefore the receiving and transmitter mechanisms employed must constitute no interruption to the column of air or admit of a detrimental leakage and consequent reduction of pressure beyond this point. However, I do not limit myself to any particular form of receiver, as my invention is applicable to all of the existing receiving mechanisms.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the end portion of a pneumatic transit-pipe having an enlarged section 2, from which the air escapes through suitable ports 3 to a bypass 4, which connects with the outgoing transitpipe at the transmitter device and allows of a free passage of air to the transit-pipe at all times.

An entrancegate 5, pneumatically operated by a piston in a cylinder 6, controlled by a piston-valve 7, is normally open. Gate 5 is closed or opened by the movement of piston -valve 7, which movement is accomplished in one direction by a piston in a cylinder 31 and in the other by a spring. The admission of air to cylinder 31 closes gate 5, while the exhaust of air from said cylinder allows a spring to return the valve and open the gate. The admission of air-pressure to or exhaust from cylinder 31 is controlled by the entrance or exit of a carrier into or out of a receiving chamber 8, provided with a similar gate, through the medium of mechanism, which it is not necessary here to describe; but it will suflice to indicate same by a diagrammatic valve mechanism 9, supposed to be raised When a carrier enters the receiving-chamber 8 and lowered when it passes out thereof, a mechanism for accomplishing this function being shown in case G of this series.

The exit-gate is normally closed and is only gate 5 is entirely closed in such manner that the air-pressu re upon the transit-pipe is never allowed to exhaust into the atmosphere. A chamber 10, consisting of an extension of the transit-pipe 1, is interposed between the enlarged portion 2 thereof and gate 5. A port 11 leads from the enlarged portion 2 of the transit-pipe into a two-way valve 12, which is adapted to open communication either between said port 11 and a port 13, leadinginto the rearward end of the chamber 10, or between said port 11 and a port 14, leading through a regulating-valve 15 to the forward end of chamber 8. The valve 12 is operated through acrank 16 by a piston in acylinder 17.

Air under pressure from any suitable source is admitted to piston-valve 7 through pipe 18 by the entrance into chamber 8 of a carrier and closes gate 5. At the same time air is admitted to the forward end of cylinder 17 open during the period when the entrance through pipe 19, which is connected to pipe 18, and the valve 12 establishes communication between port 11 and the forward end of chamber 8 simultaneously with the closing of gate 5.

The mechanism diagrammatically shown at 9, which admits air under pressure to piston-valve 7 and the forward end of cylinder 17, exhausts said parts upon a carriers exit from the chamber 8, opening gate 5, and at the same time admits air under pressure to the rearward end of cylinder 17, actuating said valve and establishing communication between the port 11 and the rearward end of chamber 10.

The operation is as follows: Air under pressure is constantly circulating through transitpipe I, ports 3, by-pass 4, and out upon the line beyond. A carrier arriving from transit-pipe 1 passes gate 5, which is normally open, and enters receiving-chamber8. As gate 5 is open communication is had through port 11, valve 12, and port 13 and the air before the carrier is allowed to escape therethrough until the carrier has reached the port 13, thereby producing no cushioning effect until the carrier enters the main receiving-chamber 8, where it is cushioned and retarded before being ejected. When the carrier has entered the main receiving-chamber 8, the gate 5 closes and valve 12 establishes communication between the port 11 and the forward end of receiving-chamber 8, allowing air regulated by hand-valve 15 to eject the carrier when the exit-gate opens and at the same time closes communication through port 13, forming a cushion in chamber 10, designed to retard an arriving carrier after the same passes port 3 and prevent it from striking gate 5 and the destructive consequences following such a a blow. When the carrier occupying chamber 8 leaves the same, the exit-gate closes and gate 5 opens, communication again being established by valve 12 between port 11 and the rearward end of chamber 10, thus allow- ,ing the waiting carrier to proceed to chamber 8 and in turn be ejected.

It is obvious that various changes in detail and construction may be made without departure from the spirit of my invention.

For use in case of a block or when a sufficient number of carriers may have accum ulated in the auxiliary chamber to obstruct ports 3 I provide an auxiliary by-pass or bypasses forward of said chamber 10 by the disposition of a valve or valves 20 into the transmitter-pipe 1, opening through pipe 21 into by-pass 4 or to the atmosphere, as emergency may dictate, by the operation of a hand-operative valve 24 at the machine. Valve 20 is operated by a piston in a cylinder 22, air being admitted to either side of said piston through pipes 26 27, running from the machine, by hand-valves 28 29 at the machine. When valves 28 29 are closed from the pressure, they exhaust from pipes 26 27 through ports in their casings, as usually provided in valves ofthis character. The air-supply for valves 20 may also be utilized to produce an elongated dead end for the reception of carriers arriving at a speed above the safetypoint caused by the excess pressure built up behind a block. It is obvious that these valves, as well as the mechanism by which they may be operated, may be located and operated in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I' claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, the combination with a main receiving and cushioning chamber of an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main receiving-chamber, substantially as described.

2. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, the combination with a main receiving and cushioning chamber of means for producing an auxiliary cushioning-chamber, substantially as described.

3. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, the combination with a main receiving and cushioning chamber of an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main chamber and means by which said auxiliary chamber is rendered operative or inoperative by the closing or opening respectively of said main chamber to the line, substantially as described.

4. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, a main receiving and cushioning chamber, closingand opening means therefor, an auxiliary receiving and cushioning chamber, and means for rendering the latter operative or inoperative actuated by said closing and opening means, substantially as described.

5. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, a main receiving-chamber, means for closing and opening the same to the line, an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main chamber, a by-pass communicating with either end of said auxiliary chamber, means for closing and opening said by-pass upon the closing and opening respectively of said main chamber to the line, substantially as described.

6. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tn be systems, a main receiving-chamber, means for closing and opening the same to the line, an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main chamber, a by-pass communicating with either end of said auxiliary chamber, a

ITO

valve for opening or closing said by-pass, and operating means for said valve controlled by said main-chamber closing and opening means, substantially as described.

7. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, a main receiving-chamber, means for closing and opening the same to the line, an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main chamber, a by-pass communicating with both ends of said auxiliary chamber, a valve for opening or closing said by-pass, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder for operating said valve, an air -supply, controlling means for said air-supply actuated by said main-chamber closing and opening means, substantially as described.

8. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, a main receiving-chamber, means for closing and opening the same to the line, an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main chamber, a by-pass communicating with both ends of said auxiliary chamber and with the forward end of said main chamber, a valve in said by-pass adapted to open communication between the forward ends of said auxiliary and main chambers or between both ends of said auxiliary chamber, and actuating mechanism for said valve, substantially as described.

9. In a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, a main receiving-chamber, means for closing and opening the same to the line, an auxiliary cushioning-chamber forward of said main chamber, a by-pass communicating with both ends of said auxiliary chamber and with the forward end of said main chamber, a valve in said by-pass adapted to open commu nication between the forward ends of said auxiliary and main chambers or between both ends of said auxiliary chamber, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder for operating said valve, an air-supply for said piston, controlling means for said air-supply actuated by said main-chamber closing and opening means, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems, consisting of a receiving-chamber and a pressure-escape forward thereof, a chamber forward of said pressure-escape and a line-exhaust valve forward of said latter chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In combination with a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems consisting of a receiving-chamber and a pressure-escape forward thereof, a chamber forward of said pressure-escape, a by-pass from the forward end of said latter chamber to said pressure-escape and a valve in said by-pass, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In combination with a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems consisting of a receiving-chamber and a pressu re-escape forward thereof, a chamber forward of said pressure-escape, a by-pass from the forward end of said latter chamber to said pressure-escape, valve mechanism in said by-pass capable of exhausting said by-pass either into the atmosphere or into said pressure-escape, and operating mechanism for said valve mechanism capable of operation at said receiving apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In combination with a receiving apparatus for transit-tube systems consisting of a receiving-chamber and a pressure-escape forward thereof, a chamber forward of said pressure-escape, a bypass from the forward end of said latter cham ber to said pressure-escape, a valve in said by-pass, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder for operating said valve, an

air-supply, pipes leading from said air-supply to said cylinder, controlling-valves in said pipes adjacent said receiving apparatus, a second valve in said by-pass capable of exhausting said by-pass into the atmosphere or to said pressure-escape, and an operating-lever for said second valve operated from said receiving apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WASHINGTON A. H. BOGARDUS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. PHELPS, GEORGE G. POWELL. 

